Filing machine



Nov. 12, 1929. R. P. THOMPSON FILING MACHINE Filed June 1927 ZSheets-Sheet l Nov. 12, 1929: R. P. THOMPSON 1,735,223

FILING MACHINE Filed June 4, 1927 2 Shoots-Sheet -2 7 Fig. 9.

for.-

Patented Nov. 12, 1929 v UNITED STATES RALPH P. THOMPSON, or somnnsnrCOUNTY, MARYLAND FILING MACHINE Application filed June 4, 1927. SerialNo. 196,549.

My invention relates to filing machines for taking care of notes, papersor writings to be filed, and which are to be brought forth at a certaintime. I therefore desire that it be called a time file for notes. It isespecially adapted for taking care of notes in a bank, as by its manualoperation the notes are brought forth at the right time to be cancelled.

The object of my invention is to provide suitable individual fileholders for holding the notes, and to havea repository for these in-1dividual file holders in which they may be rcpt.

A further object is to so construct the file 1i) holders and therepository that any file holder I may be partially withdrawn from itsposition of rest in the repository, but not fully withdrawn, for thepurpose of inspecting its contents, adding thereto, or taking therefrom.

A further object is to have provision made for the absolute withdrawelfrom the repository of an individual file holder on occassion, with itscontents undisturbed, for the purpose of using the files elsewhere thanat the repository. 1

' l. accomplish these objects by a construction of the file holders andtheir repository as incheated by the following description and drawingsherewith.

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:. represent different views of the individual fileholder.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a note form, suitable for filing. i

Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are views of thefrepository showing details ofconstruction, and various positions of the file holders in which theyare placed relative to the repository.

The file holder is made of pressed metal or other suitable material.Fig. 1 is a plan view opposite the surface whcreon the filed notesrepose. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the relative heiohtof the sides.Fig. 3 is a plan view, showing at 4 an upwardly projecting finger. l isa sectional view on line 4 l Fig. 3. The dotted lines represent thepositions taken by the filed notes, and at 4 is shown the upwardlyprojecting finger.

Fi 5 is a planview of a note form 19, suitable for filing, and at oneend a perforation, s will be notioedthat fits properly over the of theside wall 5 broken out.

upwardly projecting finger L, to hold the note from endwisc play, whilethe sides of the file holder prevent its movement sideways.

In each view of the file holder a bar 3 will be noticed to pass throughan extension of the sides and to project slightly at each end. Theseextensions of bar 3 control the relative positions that the file holdermay bear to the repository.

A side elevation of the upper portion of the repository is shown at Fig.6, with a portion The partition walls 6, which separate the file holdersin the repository are shown in section, and it will be noticed that thefile holder 7 is resting upon one of these partition walls, in aninclined position. When in this position its contents may be inspected,added to,'or assorted in any way. I

The reaction from the pressure of the file holder where it rests uponthe partition wall at 6, is taken up as shown in Fig. 8, where one endof bar 3 is shown hearing on the under side of disk 9 at 16, while theother end is shown bearing on the under side of the inwardly projectingside wall of the repository at 8. The file holders shown in Figs. 6, 7and 8 are all in the same position relative to the repository. i

' Fig. 7 is a plan view of the repository with p a portion of the topbroken out to show the walls below in section. The disk 9 which formspart of the top to the repository, has a section ofits rim cut away toform a gateway as shown at 10. Through this gateway 5 only, is itpossible to insert a file holder in the repository, or to fullyremoveon'e. I

'Fig. 9 shows a file holder, 7 at the left, in

the act of withdrawal from the repository.

One end of bar 3 has passed upward through gateway 10. As soon as bar 3has cleared disk 9 thefile holder swings free of the inwardly projectingside wall of the repository and thus becomes entirely detached. y p

The method of inserting a file holder in the repository requires but areversal of this movement.

Fig. 8 shows a cross section on line 88 Fig.7, Fig. 9 is the same asFig. 8, except at the right the file holder 7 is shown within therepository in full rest position, while at the left the file holder isin act of withdrawal as previously described.

The file holders when at full-rest position within the repository,occupy contiguous positions which extend in an'endless path. With themachine in practical operation each position wouldbe occupied by a fileholder, but in the drawings all have been omitted except those necessaryto show the various positions of; the top of the repository. This disk 9re- Volves upon a stud 13 which is rigidly mountedto project from thestationary part of the repository atl l. Upon the upper endof stud 13 aratchet wheel 15 is rigidly mounted thereby causing itito be retained ina fixed relation to the repository proper. Apawl-lo is mountedjupon thedisk 9, Fig. 7, and engages with the ratchetwheel 15. The ratchet wheelhas notches in its rim to correspond in number to-the numberoffileholderpositions in the repository, and when the awl 16 engages witha notch ofthe ratchet wheel, thegateway 10 of'th e disk 9 registers with one ofthe file holder positions in the repository.

The knob 18 is used to manually operate thedisk 9 In practical use thedisk isadvanced one notch of theratchet wheel daily. As the file'holdersmay be fully withdrawn only whengatewayj 10 coincides with a file holderposition, it follows that they are withdrawn in consecutive order as thegateway 10 is; advanced, daily from oneposition to the next;v

The practical utility of my invention may be illustratedby supposing itsuse in abank for; taking care of notes and bringing them forth on theirdue dates. Eachfile holder position of the repository would be occupiedwith a file holderforcontaining notes. As tliegatewaylO is advanced onespace each day it constitutes, the time element from which calculationscan be, made as to the properfile holders in which to file the notes tohave them brought forth on their due dates. The notes falling due thefirst day of operation of the machine would naturallybe contained in thefile holder which at the moment may be withdrawn-through gateway 10. Thenotes falling due the day following will be contained in the file holderreleased by the next daily operation of disk 9, and so continuing, thenotes falling due each day will be brought forth in succession asgateway 10 is advanced day by day. As the notes come due the file holdercontaining them is released to be taken to the bank counter where thenotes are cancelled. As each file holder is taken from the repository anempty one is inserted in its place, to so remain to receive the filednotes until gateway 10 again comes into position for its release. Thecycle of operations is continuous.

Normally'the file holders repose in their rest positions as shown at theright of Fig. 9. V hen a note is to be filed the file holder ispartially withdrawn and rests in the position as shown at 7 Fig. 6.After the note is filed the holder is droppedback to rest position as atthe right of Fig. 9.

Having described my invention I desire to secure the following claims:

1. In a filing machine, a repository to support a series of removablefile holders in contiguous positions extending in an endless path, amovable member supported by said repository, an extension on saidmovablemember, said extension overlapping the endless path of the said fileholder positions and thereby preventing the full removal of said fileholders from said repository, and a gateway in the, said extension ofsaid movable member to give clearance, for the full removal of said fileholders from said repository, and mechanical meansfor operating saidmovable member.

2. In a filingmachine, a manually operated mechanism for-timing therelease of file holders, a series of file holders supported incontiguous positions extending in an endless path in a repository, anoverlapping portion on said repository, an overlapping portion on saidmanually operated mechanism engaging the said file holdersaat. theirgreatestlateral dimension to prevent their removal from the saidrepository, a gateway in the overlapping portion of said manuallyoperated mechanism to release said file holders for their fullwithdrawal from said repository, and means for applying motion to saidmanually operated mechanism to cause it to advance from one releaseposition to the next.

RALPH P. THOMPSON.

